Local time asymmetry of Saturn's magnetosheath flows

Abstract

AbstractUsing gross averages of the azimuthal component of flow in Saturn's magnetosheath, we find that flows in the prenoon sector reach a maximum value of roughly half that of the postnoon side. Corotational magnetodisc plasma creates a much larger flow shear with solar wind plasma prenoon than postnoon. Maxwell stress tensor analysis shows that momentum can be transferred out of the magnetosphere along tangential field lines if a normal component to the boundary is present, i.e., field lines which pierce the magnetopause. A Kelvin‐Helmholtz unstable flow gives rise to precisely this situation, as intermittent reconnection allows the magnetic field to thread the boundary. We interpret the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability acting along the magnetopause as a tangetial drag, facilitating two‐way transport of momentum through the boundary. We use reduced magnetosheath flows in the dawn sector as evidence of the importance of this interaction in Saturn's magnetosphere.